Gavin Cannizzaro and Kim Rice believe if their marriage can survive a 1,000-mile, month-long bike trip from Norman to Eagle River, Wis., carrying two dogs, they can overcome just about any obstacle.

"If we could do this, we could do anything as a team," Cannizzaro said. "We got to know each other even better."

Cannizzaro, a computer programmer, and Rice, a Norman High School art teacher, were married in Eagle River two years ago, and Rice's grandparents own property near the community in northeast Wisconsin.

Cannizzaro said he and Rice had already planned a trip to the vacation spot. But they chose a transportation method that some would never consider.

"We had no car, and we had talked about taking a bike trip for a while," Cannizzaro said.

The couple decided this would be their first out-of-state bicycle excursion.

"I've always wanted to ride a bike cross country," Rice said. "It was my American dream."

Cannizzaro said he and Rice departed Norman June 4, packed with clothes, power bars, water bottles and two mutts named Basil and Cayenne. They arrived in Eagle River July 2, just in time for the Independence Day holiday.

"Our route took us one month exactly," Rice said.

Cannizzaro said he and Rice elected to travel roads and trails that would give them a scenic view of the heartland's countryside. They navigated Route 66 which led them through Luther, Tulsa, Miami and eventually through Springfield, Mo.

Rice said in Missouri, she and Cannizzaro rode through The Katy Trail, a bike path that stretches from western to eastern Missouri.

The weather conditions didn't make the trip any easier for the team. Strong winds, hot temperatures and heavy downpours overruled the forecast.

"We were following the horrible rain through the Midwest," she said, referring to the rainstorms that drenched parts of the state that caused severe flooding in towns that surrounded the Mississippi River. "We ended up having to stay in more motels for that reason."

Rice said she won't ever forget the northbound wind they encountered riding trails in Illinois.

"The wind really put me over the edge," she said.